Angela isn't here so I'm not going to use a 'The Thursday with...' sort of title

Angela's in shaky Christchurch today, running a client workshop.  Sounds like it's going really well.  They're busy booking her in for followup work already.  Good stuff!

Though Christchurch is getting steadily less shaky (RebuildChristchurch)

We had a fairly frenetic evening last night - Angela was running a Dynamics User Group evening meeting, and I was frantically trying to get an RFP response finished.  Gah.  Thanks to Benjamin who filled the breach with some wildcat babysitting with about 30 minutes notice, it all worked out.  We both finished our respective tasks around 7pm and Rex gave us both a ride home (starting with some impressive rally driving up the ramps of the underground car park in town).  Whew!

Today it's been an early start as Angela jumped in a taxi to the airport (but thankfully not quite as early a start as needed with the Sydney commute!) and then a day of last minute panicking with this RFP response.  It's all done and dusted now and a calm has settled.  Tonight all plans of going to Vivienne & John's for fish and chips have been abandoned, in favour of a quiet early night.  Angela's back at 8pm and then off again at 4am for a day at the snow.  Mad, I tell you, mad!

It's Toby's last day at school today, he's looking forward to the holidays.  Next week at home with his Nana, then computer classes the following week with both Nana and Grandy.  Great stuff!  He's looking forward to it.

The Wednesday with quiz night at work

Hi,

Mike had to go home early to chat to the plumber and settle Benjamin in for the evening with Toby.  Then he drove back into town for our work's quiz night.  If not for our first round failure of three out of ten (it was a hard geography round - the highest anyone got was four correct) we might have won.  We came third and only by about 4 points or so.  It was such a laugh.  Our team was by far the loudest table and I think it may have been in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed by some members of our team.  But they were all very funny and jolly.  I had a lot of fun!

It made for a late night.  I hope Benjamin didn't mind too much.  Toby was still cheekily reading at 10.30pm!  Yet he was up bright and early this morning suffering no ill effects.  Unlike me and Mike.  The lack of sleep and my full admission this morning that I have a full blown cold means I am feeling a little bit under the weather.  Hahahah.

But the good news is:  my mother is coming to see us.  She arrives Oct 6th (at midnight) and departs Oct 21st.  So we have to all have family get-togethers and dinners so she can catch up with everyone.  I am very happy.  She hasn't been back here since they left in March last year.  Mind you, it's a shame the bathroom hasn't quite finished.  But because Aidan was in the spare room last weekend, that room is all ready to go.

And Andrew and I are heading to Turoa (at Mt Ruapehu) this Saturday for a day ski trip!  Woo hoo!  The conditions are looking great for Saturday up there.  I have another friend that lives not far from us in Wadestown to take along with us too.  It's going to be fun!

I am away tomorrow with work.  Down in Christchurch.  Back up in the evening.  I hope talking in an all day workshop goes okay with my cold.

Have a marvellous day!
Love,
Angela

The Tuesday with the book launch

Hi,

Mike and I took the bus home so we were still dressed up nice for a quick getaway to Karori and the British High Commissioner's house.  She was hosting John's book launch and we mingled with people and ate wonderful canapes.  Eventually the speeches kicked off and John read an excerpt from his book and we listened to some wonderful violinist.  A very pleasant evening.

Home to bed.

Tonight we have a social club event on for work - a quiz.  Should be a whole heap of us there (someone said there are forty of us!) and fun, fun, fun!  Benjamin will look after Toby tonight.

And my mother is coming for school holidays and grandparent day!  Hooray!  Toby will be as proud as anything with Mike's parents and my mother to show off for grandparent day.  And he already wants to spend at least one day with both of them during the holidays!  Yep - he is pretty pleased with this.

The weather is not quite as wonderful as it has been.  We drove in because Mike is meeting the plumber after work and needs to nip away on time and get back for the quiz.  But there is a bit of cloud around today and it is supposed to be raining by the late afternoon.  Shame.  Our start to spring has been amazing!

Right.  Time to get stuck in!  Have a lovely day.

Love,
Angela

The Monday with gorgeous weather

Hi,

What a lovely day yesterday.  And today is not half bad.  There is a bit of cloud but the roads are dry and it is warm.  I rode into work this morning with Mike and went nice and fast.

Last night Mike worked late and got home just as we finished our tea.  So he ate his while I stared at him.  I hope it was loving staring and not some freaky stalking staring.  Hahahah.  Didn't put him off his dinner - but then, what does put Mike off eating?

Tonight is the last night of Cubs for the term but we're off to the book launch for John's book (Jack's Dad) at the British High Commissioner's house.  Should be quite entertaining.

It is entirely possible I am finally catching a cold.  Mike has a scratchy throat and I do too now.  And my nose is feeling a bit stuffy.  Uh oh!  I can easily be in denial for another day or so perhaps.

Have a wonderful day!
Love,
Angela

The weekend that was so much fun I want another one again now

Hi,

Friday night was when the weekend's fun started.  I made dinner for the three of us after we had our dinner with Jack's parents cancelled because his mother was on TV instead.  Fair enough excuse.  We were going to go to John and Vivienne's instead but the three of us felt like veging out completely at home so we cancelled that.  But as we just finished our meal, Vivienne, John and Benjamin arrived due to some miscommunication.  John was all for leaving again but we hadn't seen them for so long (apart from me for the mattress the day before) we convinced them to stay.  We got them Burger Wisconsin and chatted for a while.  great start to the weekend.

Next morning we got up early and finished tidying the house.  It still needs a lot of work but it is mainly tidy now.  And has had a decent clean in most places.  Aidan and the boys arrived at the train station at midday so I popped down to collect them and came home via La Cloche for scrumptious lunch of baguette and desserts (Orangina for me - the taste of France!).

After a bit of catching up I left with Aidan to find a second hand bookshop (specifically Arty Bees) but there was no handy carpark so Aidan suggested Mt Vic lookout.  A wonderful idea as the weather was the most glorious day and we were driving the wee green car with the roof down.  We went via Soi restaurant to show Aidan the location and then ran out of time before our day spa appointment to see Mt Vic.  Off to the East Day Spa for some relaxation.  Aidan's toes look amazing!

Meanwhile Mike had taken the boys and William to see Madagascar 3 in 3D.  I think Mike got the short straw.  He may have preferred my eyebrow torture to that!  Hahahah.

Off to New World to buy ingredients for dinner.  Aidan's plan was to thank Mike for looking after the boys by cooking him an amazing meal.  I think she knows intuitively the way to Mike's heart.  She cooked up a yummy Mexican banquet for about twelve people (she must understand that side of Mike's stomach too).  We were full!  Below is the groaning table and Aidan showing off her toes.

The boys went to bed and we watched Salmon Fishing in the Yemen.  Apparently the book finishes different.  I think I prefer the book ending where he doesn't get the girl.  But it was okay.

Up early the next morning.  Duncan and Emerson don't know how to sleep in.  Off to Drexels for breakfast and Mike has found a new favourite place to eat I think.

I drove the Tabors home via Plimmerton beach (just a drive by) and Pukerua Bay beach (enough time to play and for Duncan and Emerson to bury each other in sand.

Then off to Waikanae to drop them home.  A great drive back with the music considerably louder - and my volume turned up too.  A relaxing afternoon reading in the baking hot sun followed by another beach walk with Christine as I heard about her life and its ups and downs.  She needs a new job!

Home to eat leftover Mexican food for tea and to bed.  Phew!  Great weekend.  Can I do it all again now?

The sun is still shining.  When it's like this, you can't imagine it ever being cold here.  Toby's last week of school term.  Woo hoo!

I rode in with Mike this morning and had a great time!  Fast!

Have a marvellous week!

Love,

Angela

The Thursday with a chat with Vivienne and John

Hi,

After waiting for an age for Mike at home to arrive with crucial ingredients for dinner, he rings and says he is still at work and can we meet him at the supermarket.  Hahahah.  So Toby and I did just that.  After I talked to Andrew about the circling kakas above our house and to Vivienne about collecting the mattress.  Went home with our supermarket food and cooked tea.  After dinner I went around to collect the mattress off Vivienne and John and had a very pleasant chat for a while to them.  They are all very well - even Ramble after his health scare for his "parents".

Got home with the mattress ready to make the spare bed up because Mike had had plenty of time to get the base out of the garage and everything ready, hadn't he?  Oh, he hadn't.  Straight to bed then!

This morning is gorgeousness itself!  I was waiting at the garage with Toby and just said to him "I wonder when the kakas come back this way in the morning?" when the four kakas wheeled around chasing each other over our house.  Mike even got to see them this time.  And they have a flash of orange under their wings, just like keas.  We were mesmerised.  It is lovely to see them in our area.

I rode into work with Mike and pedalled like the wind down the hill.  It is so lovely and going to stay like this for the next few days.  Spring has sprung!

This weekend holds some excitement.  Whilst Josh is off on a tramp with Scouts, the rest of his family is coming to town for a sleepover with us.  Aidan and I have a day spa appointment (but not the promised pedicure as I have just lost 20% of my toenails this week - next time!) and we'll head home for dinner and a movie with Mike while the boys play Minecraft and fall asleep.  Breakfast at Drexels tomorrow morning followed by church for school.

Then Sunday afternoon I am meeting Christine for an overdue cafe expedition.  Choice!

Andrew is off on a marathon.  Literally.  A marathon.  Through bush.  So I hope he enjoys that.  If you can enjoy such arduous exercise.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Love,
Angela

The Wednesday with nothing

Hi,

I rode home with Mike a little earlier than normal and beat him quite easily up the hill.  Hahahah.  I continued working at home while Mike met with Wilf (our builder) to discuss work.  Then we both worked until Toby got home and then had tea and did homework.

Was that the extent of my day?  Gee, how boring.

I rode in with Mike this morning - although he was still just hopping in the shower at 7.30am.  His morning routine is relaxed to say the least.  It was nice riding in with him though.  There must have been rain in the morning because the roads were damp.

Tonight we have a bit of tidying to do.  That mattress still needs collecting.  Hahah.  I can see a frantic Saturday morning coming up.

This week is going so slow.  What laws of physics are being broken?  I'm stuck in something resembling Mike's morning routine but it is lasting the entire week.  No - that's not quite right.  Mike thinks he has a lot of time in the morning and then finds out he doesn't.  I think I have a lot of the week left - and I do!  Aaarrgghh.

Have a marvellous Thursday!
Love,
Angela